Tell (archaeology)

A tell is an artificial mound formed by the accumulated remains of generations of people who lived on the same site for hundreds or thousands of years. A tell resembles a low, truncated cone with sloping sides. It is composed primarily of mud brick and other relatively impermanent building materials, along with discarded refuse and debris. Over time, as buildings decay or are destroyed, and new structures are built upon the old, the ground level rises. This process, repeated many times, results in a significant accumulation of material and the creation of the tell.

The term "tell" is particularly common in the Near East and the Levant, derived from the Arabic word for a mound or hill. These sites are invaluable to archaeologists as they represent a stratified record of human occupation, allowing for the reconstruction of past lifestyles, technologies, and historical sequences. The different layers within a tell, or strata, represent different periods of occupation, with the earliest settlements at the bottom and the most recent at the top. Excavation of a tell involves carefully removing these layers one at a time, documenting and analyzing the artifacts and architectural remains found within each stratum. This allows archaeologists to build a chronological sequence of the site's history and understand how it changed over time. The analysis of artifacts found within each layer provides insights into the culture, economy, and technology of the people who inhabited the site during that period. Tell sites are often located near sources of water and arable land, reflecting the importance of these resources for early settlements. The size and shape of a tell can vary greatly depending on the length of occupation, the intensity of settlement, and the local environmental conditions.